Memories and the Future: In Scarlet
by Touda
Summary: Written in response to a requestchallenge. Renji finds himself being sick every morning and slowly comes to terms with the idea that flulike symptoms don't always mean he's truly ill. ByakuyaRenji Mpreg ShonenAi WAFF
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THEM! The characters are owned by Kubo Tite and the basic storyline, though used before in other fandoms, is not mine either.

Warnings: Adult situations and adult language. Mpreg. Possibly disturbing. Humour. Thug-life-icity. This is meant to be part serious, part funny , so please bear with me.

Notes: This fic is done in response to **trinity of the phoenix**'s mpreg challenge on the adult fanfiction website. The pairing is officially Byakuya/Renji and there are tiny, tiny hints of Ichigo/Renji. I'm placing the setting as sometime after the end of the Soul Society arc but before the Hueco Mundo arrancar arc. Not during the filler. It's sort of what happened during the filler arc if the filler arc ends up not connecting to the original storyline. Invisible canon. There. And the words 'ningen-teme' mean 'human bastard' or 'fuckin' human'. Chalk it up to Renji's thug life in the eleventh division.

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"Oh, Kami-sama save me, get it away!"

The uncharacteristic squeal came from none other than Abarai Renji, the redhead's arms out in front of himself as he forced his breakfast plate back into the center of the table. Both Karin and Yuzu stared at their new houseguest with wide eyes, uncertain as to why the normally food hoarding boy was pushing food away.

"A...Abarai-san? Is…something wrong with your breakfast?" The lighter haired twin asked cautiously. "I can…make you something else if you'd like..."

Somewhat sleep deprived red eyes peered at the girl before the gigai'd shinigami was on his feet, hurtling towards the bathroom and barely managing to close the door before the obvious sound of retching came from the other side. Both girls stared and blinked comically before Karin shrugged and swiped the older man's plate, quickly polishing off his food as well as having finished her own. Smiling politely as if nothing had even happened, Yuzu went back to preparing dinner, leaving everything tightly wrapped in the refrigerator to be heated up later on.

In the bathroom, now finished his painful heaving and washing his face with a cool cloth, Renji stared at the mirror as his pale, pasty face stared back, sticking his tongue out and groaning softly as his stomach did another flip. He couldn't remember if Urahara had told him about gigai illnesses but he honestly doubted the idea that a fake body could catch common human sicknesses. Maybe it was the former scientist's idea of a joke, one that the pony tailed swordsman found immensely irritating.

"Goddamned Urahara. 'S'gonna get a fuckin' backhand next time I see him…"

He hung the rinsed out cloth back on its hook and flushed the toilet, ignoring the kitchen in favour of retreating back to Ichigo's bedroom, his own place there assured by the elder Kurosaki when he had first arrived, the old man having felt horrible about 'innocent little Rukia-chan' having to go back to her family in Osaka. He had graciously accepted the redhead into his home and on the stipulation that he come to the physician with any ailment he may have, or any questions, as Isshin had put it, 'of a private nature'. Renji had only nodded in thanks and had shut the door in the human's face.

The sixth division fukutaichou was on a simple fact finding mission and had come alone to Karakura Town, only to wander back to the orange haired human's home where he had been before. Things had snowballed from there and now he sat comfortably on his bed, one purchased especially for him by Isshin, and watched the amateur shinigami as he glared menacingly.

"What do you want, Renji? You can't just sit around all day. It might be our summer holidays but don't you have proper work to do?"

A snort. "Urusai! I finished all my work and I'm waitin' to be called back." He grumbled as he stretched out on the comfortable mattress. "I've got shit to do when I get back too. Fuckin' paperwork. I hope Byakuya'll help me with it."

Ichigo chuckled and lifted his head from the writing desk where he had lazily set it down.

"Naa, Renji. What was all that commotion out in the hall earlier?"

"Oh...ano…your sister was tryin' to feed me this mornin'. I just kinda…didn't want anythin'. "

"Are you sick?"

Red eyes widened and the larger man nodded, reaching a hand down and rubbing his decidedly firmer belly, quirking an eyebrow at the odd sensation. Since when did it feel like that? He decided that exercise and healthier eating was in order once he returned to Soul Society.

"Yeah, kinda. I threw up."

"Oh yuck. Thanks for sharing."

"You asked, ningen-teme!"

"Oi, give it up, Renji! Maybe you just ate something that isn't agreeing with you. If you've gotta stay here until they call you back, just stay in bed. It'll have to pass sometime, right?"

"Aa. I guess."

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The week passed without too much of a problem, though the Kurosaki family was slowly becoming more and more irritated with their guest's demands and odd behaviour, various food items going missing after they had just been purchased and Renji's sleeping habits had nearly driven Ichigo to murder.

During the third month of his stay, amongst discarded potato chip bags and emptied yogurt tubs, Renji groaned and rolled over from his side to his stomach, instantly crying out in pain and flopping back onto his side, auburn brows furrowing in sudden concern. He always slept on his stomach. It was the most comfortable and as of late, he had been so sleep deprived that what little sleep he did manage to get, in whatever position he could manage, was savoured. This was only another irritation!

"What the hell? How come I can't- ITAI!"

He fumbled and rolled back again, having tried it a second time and again finding only pain. He sat up and found that it too required a bit of fidgeting to sit properly, bright eyes falling to his exposed belly where a noticeable bulge sat. He stared at it, poked it twice and groaned in resignation. The inevitable fate that Urahara had warned him of, had finally happened. He had let himself become lazy and after so many months of stuffing himself on human treats, his gigai had gained weight. Or so the air headed shinigami thought.

"Fuck. Now I'm gonna have to work out before it gets worse. Goddamn gigai. Fuckin' useless is what it is…"

"Oi….Renji. Shut. Up. Your mumbling's starting to get really annoying..."

The soon to be pony tailed shinigami only snarled slightly and hefted himself out of bed, padding to the bathroom where again, as in every morning since his first bout of it, he was physically ill, drawing the attention of the eldest Kurosaki.

Isshin stepped up to the door and knocked firmly, being unusually kind to the guest, something Ichigo noticed that the old man did with each of his former housemates, Rukia included.

"Abarai-kun? Are you all right in there? Has my brilliant son done something to you that he should be ashamed of?"

From down the hall a garbled mumble of curses came on the heels of the doctor's vague assumption, the orange haired human angered by his father's pathetic, yet unnaturally close to the real truth, ideas. Ichigo was of course attracted to Renji, but after finding out that the redhead was in a committed relationship with his captain, things fell apart quickly.

"Iie, Kurosaki-san. I'm just feelin' a bit sick. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I think I should take a look at you. I'm a professional after all."

"A professional pervert!" Came the voice of the other male Kurosaki.

The bathroom door opened again and the pale shinigami stepped out, dressed in only his boxer shorts, items Ichigo had insisted fit comfortably but never seemed to fit as nicely as a fundoshi did, in Renji's mind anyway, his hair again tied in its severe tail. He was immediately seized by the roughly shaved physician and dragged to the clinic proper, giving no argument after having seen what the elder man could do to a paving stone when jumping off of the clinic's roof.

"You can leave your underwear on, Abarai-kun. Just get up onto that table there."

The redhead blinked and grunting, lifted himself up onto the examination table, parting his legs slightly as the doctor returned with an ominous looking instrument and latex gloves on.

"Just lie back. I'll only be a moment."

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A moment turned into an hour and by the time the examination was finished, Renji was sure human doctors were sadists by nature and even though he knew most of Isshin's weird tendencies, he was positive of the reason Ichigo was uncomfortable around him. He was a pervert. No doctor fondled another man to figure out why he had an upset stomach. Right?

But lo and behold, life had its little quirks and though Renji had been dead for quite some time, life still held a quirk just for him. According to the baffled doctor, Abarai Renji was pregnant. The ultrasounds had confirmed the presence of a fetus, as well as a well-protected area in which the child would grow. He had never seen nor heard of it happening but due to his…eccentricities, it didn't seem to faze him as much as it did Renji.

Determined to keep it a secret from Ichigo, Renji and Isshin decided that chalking his weight and bulging tummy up to eating too much seemed like the only option. So far, the orange haired boy had believed it, especially considering the amount of empty garbage he bagged and took from his room.

The only thing the young shinigami couldn't figure out, was how it could happen to a man. He had in mind an idea of when it had happened and what had more than likely caused it, immediately blushing and excusing himself from the elder Kurosaki's gaze, when the man seemed curious about the pink flush creeping over Renji's nose.

"A...ano...I gotta...um...go. Arigato, Kurosaki-san…"

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In Soul Society, despite its cool autumn temperature, Kuchiki Byakuya sat in his inner chambers writing, keeping a journal of all that went on during his lover's stay in the living world, something Renji had requested so he wouldn't miss out on anything interesting. In reality however, nothing interesting had even remotely happened. Seireitei was quiet and as long as Soul Society's traitorous enemies remained silent, things would go on as they always had.

The nobleman sat back and stretched languidly, cracking his knuckles and smiling as he remembered Renji's hatred of the grating noise, his toes popping as well as he moved to stand. It had been far too long since he last saw his lover and through a heavy sigh, he wandered to the large window and leaned on the sill. Had anyone seen him, they would have noticed the change in his demeanor, everything having become different since the start of his relationship with his fukutaichou.

The rustling of material caught his attention as he turned a somewhat bored gaze upon the small shinigami at his door, the boy's head bowed and hands held out, offering a tightly wrapped scroll which the Kuchiki heir took eagerly. He waved a hand for the boy to leave and waited until the door was fully closed again before opening it, his heart pounding when he noticed that it was a formal letter from the living world, Urahara Kisuke's personal seal stamped at the bottom. So, Renji wanted to correspond with him.

Dark eyes went wide as he finished the messily written note, deft hands quickly folding it and placing it in the drawer of his largest dresser, slipped in with his other well loved items that were unseen by any other shinigami to date.

The last lines of the letter are what had worried him, the candles in his room quickly snuffed as he made his way outside, barely giving an explanation to his third seat on where he was headed and how long he would be gone. He discreetly opened a gateway in the sixth division's training room and still in shinigami form, exited the brightly lit doorway in front of the Kurosaki clinic.

Unseen by the humans that walked the tree-lined street, he jumped to the second floor of the short building, his lithe form filling the sliding window. He was immediately spotted by Ichigo who, after choking slightly on his juice, hopped up from his chair and stared.

"Byakuya? What the hell're you doing here?"

The captain rolled his eyes slightly and slipped into the cramped but tidy room, deciding between the two beds to sit on and instantly choosing Renji's, the scent of his lover drawing him to it, ignoring the human's nonchalant, friendly greeting, regardless of the fact that the two men were certainly not friends.

"I received a letter from Renji which stated that he…needed my help."

"Ohhh, so that's where he went. You guys can only get letters to Soul Society through Urahara-san's shop, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Now, where is he?"

The slamming of the clinic's front door and the sound of Isshin greeting someone told the dark haired shinigami exactly what he needed to know, heavy thumping slowly coming up the stairs just before Ichigo's door burst open, revealing a sweaty, obviously tired out Renji.

There wasn't even time for words between the two lovers, the young human already aware of their relationship but he rolled his eyes as he watched them embrace, interested in the sixth squad captain's obvious show of emotion after being such a cold bastard to him for so long.

Renji was beside himself with relief, worried that his letter had carried too thorough of an explanation and had quite possibly scared the elder man off.

"Byakuya, I'm…glad you came." He flashed as glance at Ichigo, who rolled his eyes and groaned out loud before slipping past the hugging pair and closing the door behind him as he exited the room.

"Your letter was far too suspicious and cryptic for me to have ignored it, Renji."

He stepped out of the redhead's tight hug and again sat down on his bed, trying to look concerned without putting the younger shinigami on edge, secretly roiling in an inner turmoil, never having been a father before, let alone knowledgeable of the fact that a death god could even reproduce.

"Explain to me everything Kurosaki's father told you. In detail, Renji. I need to know how this could have happened."

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Less than ten minutes passed and though the now slightly calmer swordsman spoke in a hushed voice, Byakuya heard everything he needed to, including the reasoning behind their current situation. He blushed lightly at the mention of his part in it, realization dawning on him just before he lifted a hand and pressed his forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slightly.

"You mean to tell me, that by taking you for the first time the night before you left, I caused this?"

"Yes! That's what Kurosaki-san said! It's pretty much the same as girls havin' babies, only a little more complicated."

"But Renji, what about the numerous times when you've taken me? I'm certainly not…pregnant." It was still odd for him to say, given the circumstance.

"I dunno. I asked him that too and he said maybe I was sterile or some shit."

"Sou ka. This is most definitely not what I had expected to happen."

The redhead was hardly listening anymore, his head down as he stared at his belly, both hands rubbing the lightly tanned skin, giving it tiny pokes every few seconds to test its firmness. That confirmed it for him. Fat didn't feel like that, and he had shoved second division's Omaeda-fukutaichou enough times in the gut to know the difference.

The nobleman watched it and with a tentativeness that bordered on adorably curious, he reached a hand out and held it against the protruding area, ignoring the fact that it was a man who carried his child, having wanted one of his own ever since meeting his deceased wife so many years before.

Renji watched with a little smile but abruptly swatted the other man away and pulled his t-shirt down as the bedroom door opened again, having changed into simple human daily wear for the walk to Urahara's shop.

"You two finished your little get together yet? I've gotta go to the store for Oyaji and I thought I'd tell you first Renji, that he's on a rampage over…whatever he talked to you about earlier."

The pony tailed death god's eyes lit up at the prospect of more snacks and ignoring Ichigo's warning, he turned to the side, nearly pushing his lover over to dig in the book bag he carried everywhere with him, pulling out a handful of crumpled bills and tossing them towards the younger shinigami.

"Oi, pick me up more of those…crunchy things, like I had earlier. What the hell were they? Corn balls. Something balls. Just gimme more of 'em."

Ichigo picked the money up and stuffed it into his pants pocket, snatching up his own wallet and house keys before turning his back and heading back out.

"Popcorn balls. You want the pink ones, ne? Fruity coloured treats for a fucking fruity pair of-"

"Urusai! Just bring 'em back fast! I'm fuckin' starvin'!"

The kenseikan toting captain lofted an eyebrow and blinked, curiosity painted across his delicate features.

"Popcorn balls?"

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When Ichigo returned, his first thought was that he had died on the way back from the store and had gone to secondary level of Hell, where he wasn't tortured physically but mentally, the sight of his red haired comrade stretched out in bed wearing only a light yukata being the least of his problems.

Beside him sat the flowing form of his captain and lover, Byakuya's hands busily patting the fullness that was Renji's belly. Wait, what? That can't be right.

"Ok, someone wanna tell me what the hell's going on? First it's Renji throwing up every morning, then it's insane amounts of food being eaten. Now it's a family gathering and-" He stared at the twins, Yuzu grinning cutely back at him while Karin rolled her eyes but smirked anyway. "-are those my baby photos?"

Isshin immediately turned and brandished a picture as if it were a weapon, showing Ichigo just how thin he was and how cute his behind was after having been spanked for being naughty.

"I'm only showing our guest here how strong you were as a boy, Ichigo! Look how defiant your frown was! Look how angrily red your bottom glowed after my masterful hand worked its magic upon you!"

A swift punch to forehead had the eldest Kurosaki on his knees, still struggling to look in the album, despite Ichigo's attempts to take it from him. Apparently, according to Byakuya's slight shifts and then total avoidance of Karin as she stepped his way, they couldn't see him, though Yuzu kept lowering her eyes and looking directly at the dark haired shinigami, as if she could honestly see him.

There was no mistaking Byakuya's protectiveness of his lover either, his arms held up to shield him from any flying debris, should a proper fight actually erupt.

"Ok…I'm about ready to implode here. Will someone please tell me what the hell's-"

"I'm pregnant, ningen-teme."

"All right, stop with the ningen-…what?"

The now compromised shinigami sat up a bit more, aided by his lover who fluffed the pillows behind him invisibly, seemingly enjoying the attention even though it was hardly necessary so early into the pregnancy.

"Preg. Nant. As in, havin' a baby. You know what that means, dontcha?"

Ichigo blinked and took a small step back, not entirely certain he had heard correctly.

"Having a…how the fuck did that happen!"

Instantly, the scruffy former shinigami was on his feet, a chart procured from out of thin air, giving it a quick flip open to show a detailed diagram of a man and a woman engaged in coitus.

"You see, my brilliant son, when a man and a woman really love each other, or I guess a man and a man in this case, their powers of seduction reach their peak and they perform an act called-"

Pow, the eldest man again hit the floor, the poster falling over his head like a funeral sheet. Ichigo cracked his knuckles and watched Renji wince at the sound, he too knowing that the redhead hated it. Stepping over his prostrate father, the orange haired shinigami approached Renji, his eyes locked on the exposed skin just above the bed sheet, blinking slowly and suffering through a massive eyebrow twitch.

"You mean…there's a baby in there? Like…the way a woman would carry one?"

"Yes, Kurosaki." Came Byakuya's calm voice. "It appears as if Renji and I are going to be parents."

He blinked a final time before falling back and laughing loud enough to frighten Yuzu, who held a hand to her mouth and made as if to bolt, Karin's hand staying her as they waited out their nii-san's insanity.

"Parents! Do you two even know how to raise a baby?"

While being the head of the Kuchiki clan, Byakuya had had his share of children in his lap before, his cousins and lesser family members having brought them for annual gatherings and such. He was good with children because of his calm demeanor but given the fact that both men were high ranked shinigami, he figured that the servants in the Kuchiki household would be immensely busy in the coming months.

"I have servants who can take care of the baby's needs, Kurosaki. The rest will be dealt with by Renji and myself. It cannot be as difficult as you suggest."

Isshin nodded as if understanding the death god's words, not telling his family that he had heard the man, for fear of giving away one of his many secrets. Though Karin stared from one person to another trying to figure out what was going on and why she was missing half of an unspoken conversation. She shrugged and left the room, leaving the madness to her more 'gifted' family members.

"Ok, ok. So you can take care of it. What're you gonna name it? Is it gonna be born here or in Soul Society? Can I come visit you after it's born?"

Renji, overwhelmed by the sudden questions, burst into tears and was immediately comforted by the sixth squad taichou, dark eyes glaring at Ichigo over the other's shoulder, his right hand again rubbing the redhead's belly as his left curled around heaving shoulders.

"We must find out the sex of the child before we name it, Kurosaki. I…have a few names in mind already though. And the answer is yes to your other two questions."

"Aa. You know, it might work out. You're just gonna have to be really loving, Byakuya. No more of that slice and dice shit when Renji gets kinda uppity-"

"Ichigo!" The snarl was unmistakably Renji's, his tear streaked face turning to peer at the human with contempt. "That was a long time ago. We're past that now. It was all a misunderstandin'…"

The new shinigami lifted both hands in apology and waved them as if trying to calm the emotional swordsman, not wanting to contribute to anything that would harm the baby.

"Gomen, Renji! I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know…I just…it kinda hurt."

"Gomen. Ano…" He held out the plastic bag he had brought back from the store and handed it to the slowly recovering shinigami.

"I got your popcorn balls. You really liked the caramel ones, right? I remember you ate all my caramel ones and left the cotton candy ones. Pink's kinda not your style, is it?"

The young Abarai smiled and took the proffered bag, busying himself with digging in it and stuffing his cheeks with the crunchy treats, even sacrificing one to his lover, who shook his head, already smelling the sugar that made up about half of the item's ingredient list. Shrugging, Renji ate it himself, smiling like a content child.

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To keep from angering the rest of the Gotei 13, Byakuya left Renji in the capable hands of the Kurosaki family until the eight month of his pregnancy, at which time he returned and with a tearful goodbye on the part of Isshin and Yuzu, a noncommittal wave from Karin, and a knowing smile from Ichigo, he took his lover back with him, leaving behind promises of a visit in the near future, along with the new addition to their odd little family.

The gate this time was in Urahara's shop and the gaudy hat toting shinigami gave a brief nod and a smile as Byakuya exchanged his stylish gigai for his soul form so he could return, leaving Renji in his container for the time being. It was possible, as the shop owner had given the redhead a slip of paper to tuck underneath his robe, allowing him to pass through much the same way Ichigo and his ryoka comrades had over a year before.

"Bye bye, Kuchiki-san, Abarai-kun! Remember me when you send invitations to come visit your little bundle!"

Both men smiled and Renji laughed slightly before they disappeared into the bright light, the gates immediately closing behind them, leaving a smiling Kisuke, who went right to his desk and began counting tab orders of new shinigami merchandise, acting as if nothing had happened and that a fukutaichou had not just waddled his way through the shop in a floral patterned yukata and slippers.

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Upon Unohana-taichou's insistence during a meeting Byakuya held with her before leaving again for the living world, the two shinigami, after reappearing in Soul Society, made their way to the fourth division's headquarters and checked in, pleased to see the captain herself standing neatly with a polite smile on her face.

It was a shock to her, as well as more than half of the Gotei 13, when Byakuya had called a meeting and told them of the situation, deciding on honesty as opposed to simple lies and deceit, but she agreed to help because she admired the Kuchiki heir as well as his brave vice captain.

Renji was prepped for surgery, the only option to remove the growing child from him, and he cried the entire time, fussing about every little thing and finally sedated after Byakuya could handle no more of the incessant whining, the redhead's cheeks streaked with tears and his hair mussed out of its normal tail. The elder man was reprimanded by the elegant captain as she escorted him out of the room and left him in the hall with two of her own subordinates, both of them kind girls who fretted over him entirely too much.

Unohana returned to the now closed off room and donned her medical gloves, proceeding with the operation and taking less than two hours for everything, including the restructuring of the fukutaichou's internal organs, everything having shifted to accommodate the child. He was securely sutured and bandaged with care, then taken to the recovery room, along with the baby, whose small form lay sleeping in his arms.

The motherly woman hadn't wanted to leave the baby with the sleeping shinigami but she knew that as soon as she told Byakuya that it was over, he would be by the other's side soon enough.

The door to the recovery room opened and the nobleman got to his feet, nearly toppling the fussing fourth division members in his haste, dark eyes wide as he approached her and bowed slightly.

"Abarai-kun is fine, Kuchiki-san. He is resting now because of the sedative."

"And the child?"

"Is in perfect health. He is sleeping as well."

The regal clansman blinked suddenly which caused the woman's face to fall slightly.

"Is something the matter, Kuchiki-san?"

"I…I have a son?"

She smiled again, taking him by the arm and walking him towards the recovery room and letting him step in first, his lover being the only patient in at the moment, which gave him immense relief. He would have hated to spend the rest of the day explaining the situation to another person.

"I will leave you alone with them until Abarai-kun wakes. He will then need to be examined a second time."

Byakuya bowed low and when he stood again, the sweet captain couldn't help but notice the wetness in his eyes. Was the normally cold taichou really beginning to cry?

Seeing that his tired lover was indeed sleeping, Byakuya stared down at the little bundle snuggled carefully against Renji's shoulder, his tiny face at peace. He smiled genuinely and lifted both hands to unwrap the scarf from his neck and draped it over the table beside the bed, gingerly lifting the form of his child and placing him in the silky swaddling.

He folded the cool material over the baby's body and hefted his slight weight into his arms, cradling him in the crook of his elbow.

Just as he sat down, the 'mother' of the family woke and shifted slightly, trying not to call attention to himself and succeeding as Byakuya remained ignorant of his movements, giving Renji enough time to peer over at the elder man and smile softly. He was rocking in the padded chair and had one hand lifted as he gently rubbed the baby's cheeks and arms, everything so tiny compared to the nobleman's large form.

With a head of the blackest hair, the baby was undeniably Kuchiki-born, but the moment his father gave his arm a little tug, he opened his eyes, staring up sleepily at the new world he had been brought into, Byakuya's own eyes wide as he stared down at the child.

He had Renji's eyes. A dark auburn that obviously belonged to the loudmouthed swordsman. He would be a handsome man once grown, the captain could see it already.

"You resemble us in so many ways, little one."

Another shift of the bed sheets had the taichou's attention as the no longer pony tailed vice captain smiled at him.

"That's usually the way it works, Byakuya."

"Aa, I know. It's just…such a surprise."

"So, what are we gonna name him?"

There was no hesitation from the elder man as he looked from the sleeping child to his lover, his left pointer finger held securely in a tiny hand.

"Tomi."

"Tomi?"

"His name means red."

"Byakuya, we don't have to name him after me…I was only part of this-"

"He isn't named entirely after you, Renji. It's true that his name reflects the colour of your hair and the colour of his eyes, but the red also represents Hisana."

The younger shinigami nodded in understanding and held his arms out to have the baby brought to him, smiling broadly even though his eyes welled with unshed tears. The child fidgeted again because he was moved and gave a tiny cry, starting the decent of Renji's tears, the bright eyes of the child making the fukutaichou happier than he ever had been before.

"We're gonna have to move in together now, you realize that dontcha?"

"The plans are already in motion, Renji. I have cleared out the largest portion of the clan's formal home, where a nursery actually exists but hasn't been used since my own birth."

"Oh yeah? I can't fuckin' wait…" The young Abarai yawned suddenly and then noticed the cloth wrapped around the child.

"Is this your scarf?"

Byakuya nodded and tugged the material down a bit more so the baby could be seen clearly.

"I've worn it all these years knowing what its true purpose was and yet I was never given the chance to use it."

Before he fell back to sleep from the remnants of the sedative, Renji have a questioning look and half heard the answer as his lover sat back down with the baby, speaking mostly to him instead of the now snoozing vice captain.

"It's tradition for a Kuchiki heir to be swaddled in the cloth of his mother's wedding dress, but because of the situation, I have again changed the rules. This cloth belonged to your ancestors and one day Kuchiki Tomi, you'll give it to your own child."

"From now on, you'll wear the symbol of our clan's prosperity."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THEM! Though this time, I can say that I DO own a character for a change. –laughs- The character of Kuchiki Tomi.

Warnings: Fluff, WAFF. Shonen-Ai. Humour. OC (and I've never written an OC before.)

Notes: Well, after MUCH prompting, I decided to continue this story, if only for another two or three chapters. So far, the first was Tomi's birth, the second is Tomi at age eight and the third will be Tomi at age twenty-five. The response to Renji and Byakuya being parents seemed to be far too exciting to everyone for me to simply leave it where it ended, though the first chapter COULD be it's own story. This will be set eight years in the future, making Tomi eight, of course, but simply because I can't figure out how shinigami age, we'll go with eight as his age and simplify it a bit. For reference, when Tomi refers to his parents and others with formalities, they're childish familial names, like Papa and Uncle.

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In Soul Society, because of the familial situation when lonely souls gather, it's easy to create a family out of different types of people. There could be an entire group of women who all call one member Mother while the rest call each other Sister. It usually consisted of a man and a woman taking care of young children of both sexes, creating a more traditional family of sorts.

With groups of men, the idea was the same. There was the older, more fatherly adult and each of the boys called one another Brother. In Byakuya and Renji's situation, they were both called Father. The brilliant little boy whom they had sired together knew nothing else, other than the two loving men as his parents. And since his friends in Rukongai had similar home lives, boys whom Renji had convinced Byakuya were safe, Tomi saw little difference in what went on in his own home.

Besides, as the son of a Kuchiki, the boy was hardly worried about anything other than his own future.

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"Byakuya-chi!"

The longhaired nobleman looked up from his work as the wide-eyed young heir slid the shouji screen aside, peering excitedly into the elder man's reading room. He stepped in and then the captain noticed a package in the boy's other hand, something neatly wrapped in brown paper.

"You have to see what Renji-chi brought back for me from the living world!"

Byakuya rolled his eyes slightly but managed a smile after holding up his hand for a moment of silence, setting his scrollwork aside and putting the lid over his inkblot. The boy always seemed to tip it over when he was in just such a mood.

"Honestly, Tomi. You must behave more like the nobility you are. What would Genryuusai-dono say if he saw you acting so childishly?"

The boy lowered his head slightly and gave a short bow before jiggling the hand holding the package. The once cold and dangerous captain shook his head and smiled broadly at his son, allowing him his time to show the item off. The string had already been cut and was retied in a bow, his small hands undoing it quickly and unfolding it after moving closer and resting it on the low table, kneeling on the floor to be at his father's level.

Out of the crinkled wrapping came an object, or a pair of objects really, that the elder Kuchiki inwardly groaned at, mentally chalking up a list of things he'd have to reprimand his lover on. As any responsible shinigami parent will tell you, venturing into the living realm to buy your child a pair of fuzzy dice is not a well thought out plan.

"They're absolutely lovely, Tomi. Are you going to hang them in your room?"

"I am! Can I hang them in my window?"

"Of course you can. But before you go, tell me where your father is right now."

"Ano, Renji-chi said he was going to visit Kira-san."

Byakuya nodded and smiled to the boy, who eagerly packed up his furry belongings and waited to be dismissed.

"Put those in your room and change into your outdoor clothes before you come back here. And don't forget your scarf. We're going to go for a walk."

Tomi immediately fled from the room, light footsteps heard echoing down the hall because the door remained open, the sounds of his servants and most notably the boy's nanny, calling out to the dark haired child as he headed to his room.

Shaking his head a second time and sighing out loud, the regal taichou unrolled his scroll and uncapped the ink, going back to his journal and chuckling softly as he added the previous conversation to it before tidying up and standing, brushing dust from his robes. According to the stack of scrolls behind him on the heavy shelves, the past eight years had been truly interesting.

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In the third division headquarters, laughter emanated from the captain's office as Renji and Kira enjoyed themselves, chatting over sake while they caught up on their past week of vice captain duties. It was almost a ritualistic thing, the redhead using the time Kira's lover was out at meetings to enjoy his best friend's company. He was happy that with the birth of their son, both he and Byakuya had been given time off to care for him, said time going on as long as they deemed fit. It seemed that Kuchiki influence extended even to the shobantai-taichou.

Though eight years older, the sixth division fukutaichou was just as lovely as he ever had been, his hair slightly longer and no longer held up in its strict sharp tail. It remained in a tie but high on his head now and draping over in a graceful arc, resembling a ponytail the ancient samurai used to wear.

Kira as well, his hair neatly trimmed to just above his eyebrow while the back started to grow longer, a style his lover was quite enamoured with and was loathe to let him change too much. He had filled out slightly, hours each week spent sparring with the stronger vice captain adding muscle to his upper body. He smiled broadly and tucked his legs up a bit further before cocking an ear towards the door and shifting to stand, setting his drink down and brushing his clothes free of cookie crumbs. Renji gave him an odd look as the blond crouched down a bit and posed in a defensive stance.

Seconds later, a streak of dark hair came in, running right for him and nearly tackling the slim fukutaichou, small arms wrapping around his neck as he hefted the boy up from the floor, one arm around his waist while the other tucked up under his behind.

"Kira-oji!" The red-eyed youth squealed.

"Ohayo, Tomi-kun! How are you?"

He set the boy back down and stayed in a crouch as he spoke to him, still as interested as ever in the child's colourations, his dark skin and eyes unmistakably belonging to Renji while the dark hair and delicate bone structure reflecting his Kuchiki heritage. There was no doubting that he'd be a wonderful leader when he grew up, not to mention that he'd be physically stunning.

"I'm good, Kira-oji! Byakuya-chi and I were heading to the market and he said I could come see you." He looked around curiously. "Is Ichimaru-san around today?"

"He's at a meeting this afternoon. I'll be sure to tell him you came by."

Kira knew that the boy was secretly frightened of Gin and he smiled at the relief that crossed Tomi's face when he heard the answer he had been hoping for. He slipped a hand into his inside sleeve pocket and pulled out a handful of something, keeping his hand closed as he held it out, waiting for the child to open his hands and receive the gift. Once both palms had been put together in wait, Izuru dropped a good-sized portion of confetti candy into the waiting palms.

"Yatta! Sankyuu, Kira-oji!" He turned and showed the treats to Byakuya, who nodded and smiled down at him, and then to Renji, who snuck a hand out and snatched up a few pieces for himself, laughing out loud at the sight of the boy's sour face.

"Kuchiki Tomi. What a terrible face. Behave yourself." He chided playfully.

"Hai, Renji-chi!"

Satisfied with his son's behaviour, Renji stood and approached his lover with a smile, winding an arm around his waist and placing a light kiss to his lips, earning himself a purr from the nobleman and a light grope to his read end.

"How was your trip, Renji? I admit; I missed you quite a bit."

"Didja now? Well, It's not like I spent a week enjoyin' myself or anythin'."

The elder man chuckled and leaned in to kiss the redhead a second time, breaking apart only when Kira cleared his throat politely behind them and pointed to their son as they turned to look. Tomi watched them with wide eyes, a look that had Renji written all over it.

"Ohhh, eww."

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After a lengthy visit with the blond fukutaichou, the sixth squad members, after crossing paths with Ichimaru in the hall and having to silence a talkative Tomi, left for home, the promise of a night spent in the garden before them as they walked peacefully through the streets of Seireitei.

In the high walled gardens of the Kuchiki estate, were flowers and trees galore, each one hand picked by the first Kuchiki to own the property, then lovingly cared for ever generation right down to Byakuya's own. He was eager to get his son interested in their care so the fauna wouldn't wither out. One would imagine that after twenty-eight generations, a family would become quite attached to their plants.

Dinner was waiting for them when they arrived home and the three men walked out to the shrine area, Byakuya and Renji settling down on the stone bench while Tomi did his best to be both adorable and irritating, running from plant to plant, asking odd questions that only a child could find interesting enough to ask. Though the shrine itself had held his attention for the first few years he was allowed to play near it, after being told that it belonged to his father's wife, he was silenced. Not one more word had ever been asked about it.

"Oi, watch the pond, Tomi! Don't get too close. I don't wanna have to come after ya."

The boy nodded to his red haired father and went about trying to catch a poor hell butterfly, the black creature flouncing merrily amongst the blossoms before darting off above Tomi's head, the little Kuchiki jumping comically trying to catch it, despite the fact that the insect was far beyond his means to catch. Byakuya took pity on him after observing the adorable display and walked out to him, watched closely by his lover, who smiled warmly, as if amused by the nobleman's love for their child.

Bright auburn eyes stared up into Byakuya's own dark ones and Tomi's face became one large grin, all teeth, his eyes squinted so that he almost resembled Ichimaru for a moment. Byakuya chuckled and held his right hand aloft, waiting barely a minute before another of the dark creatures landed on his pointer finger, slowly fanning its wings as he brought it down to the boy's level, keeping his other hand out to swat small hands from the insect as Tomi tried to touch it.

"You mustn't touch it, my son. Its wings are very delicate and even the slightest touch can harm it. It's lovely enough to simply watch, isn't it?"

There was a slight nod as the child again held his hand out but didn't attempt to touch it, only held it out as if wanting it to alight on him. The elder Kuchiki knew that it wouldn't, knowing that hell butterflies were strange things, only landing on those that could understand their silent voices. Byakuya gave his hand a little shake and watched it fly off, keeping said hand up and patting his beloved heir on the head lightly, earning himself a giggle and a swat.

From his vantage point on the bench, Renji could see where the scene was about to escalate to and he moved quickly to stand between the two men in his life, turning his back on Byakuya to stare his son down, his arms crossed and a pretend murderous look on his rough face.

"Are ya tryin' to muscle in on my property, little man? I don't think I can allow that."

"But Renji-chi! Byakuya-chi started it!"

"Yeah? Well I'm finishin' it."

And with that, the shunpo master backed off towards the seat and watched the boys tussle, Renji on his back with Tomi held above him by strong arms, even tucking his legs in and letting the boy rest atop them, his arms out as if he were flying. Laughter echoed from the high stonewalls and settling his head back against the tree, Byakuya again felt the leaves rustle, despite the absolute lack of wind in the yard. He peered to his right and smiled at the shrine, nodding his head lightly as if answering a silent question.

"Aa, he's everything you wanted, Hisana. I'm sorry that he was a few years too late." A rustle again, this time showering a dozen or so petals down into the pond. "I'm glad you approve."

"Ahh, Renji-chi! Not so hard! That tickles!"

"Are you givin' me orders, little man?"

"Yeah, of course I am!" The boy stated proudly, his hands on his hips and the heirloom scarf ends both flung over one shoulder from their wrestling match. "I'm a Kuchiki! You have to obey me!"

Renji moved too fast for the little one to follow and he squealed when the redhead caught him up by the waist and flung him over his shoulder, turning with a brilliant smile and walking back to his lover.

"You hear this, Byakuya? Little brat thinks he's some sorta royalty now."

The elder man held his hands out as if asking for the rough and tumble fukutaichou to hand the boy over, grinning slightly as Tomi was indeed relinquished, giving a tiny squeak as he was settled into the captain's lap.

"Well, technically he is, Renji. We Kuchiki are one of the four noble families. Nobility is as close to royalty as it gets in Soul Society. Except the King himself and his family, of course."

"Un, I forgot about that. I suppose we common folk sorta forget from time to time-"

"Renji…"

"I know, I know. I'm not a commoner anymore."

The dark haired youth ran both hands through his bangs and with a firm tug, pulled the tie from his own tiny ponytail to settle the hair around his shoulders. It was obviously Renji's idea to let him grow it out, but considering both of his parents had long hair, it was only fitting. Besides, how could a proper nobleman wear his kenseikan in short hair?

A tiny yawn caught Byakuya's attention and he was immediately on his feet, walking to the building while being followed closely by the younger shinigami, giving a slight wave to the nanny who appeared in the door, choosing to bathe the boy himself. There were some times when life was simply too hectic to be the child's primary care giver but because of their recent 'retirement' from the Gotei 13, both men had been finding out the ups and downs of child rearing.

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As it was, bathing was the most tedious, but it was also the most fulfilling.

Fully submerged in the cast iron tub that dominated the boy's own private bathroom, Tomi sat nose deep in the water, hunched over to sit eye level with the bubbles Renji had so lovingly poured in, giving the water a few vicious swipes with his hand to lather it all up. It was only a mop of black hair in a sea of tiny light green orbs, a pair of mischievous red eyes peering up every few minutes.

Byakuya sat a ways away, just enjoy the view as Renji sat in only silk pants and slippers, a light indoor yukata for himself as he wasn't about to get wet from the bath. Bubbles could be heard coming from the water and both men watched with smiles as the boy created them himself, puttering around in the scented liquid as if he were one of those human creations, the boat with automatic paddles.

He sat up and wiped the soap from his face before getting a bucket full of clean water dumped over his head, a squeal and a grunt of exertion later and he was standing up completely, Renji bent over the tub to finish rinsing him off, bucket after bucket of clean warm water poured over him until he shone. Wet handed, Renji gave Tomi's behind a gentle smack but due to the wetness, it sounded much harder than it really was, the little one's squeak of indignance echoing in the bathroom.

"Go on, get out. I have to dry ya before ya catch a cold."

Obeying, Tomi stepped out and held his arms out to the sides, allowing the redhead space to dry him and giggling madly as he was tickled throughout the procedure, The elder Kuchiki's eyes shining with admiration for the once harsh fukutaichou. He used to be so crude and untamed but now it was as if parenthood had finally calmed him down. It never dawned on the two men that maybe an eight year old could have taken care of himself but due to Renji's tragic upbringing and Byakuya's ignorance of his own, they decided that they would spend as much time with him as was socially acceptable and go from there.

"Alright, go with Byakuya-chi. He'll getcha into bed."

The child gave a small salute, no doubt something he had learned while in the company of Yachiru Kusajishi, the eleventh squad fukutaichou. Since finding out that Byakuya-chan had a son, Zaraki Kenpachi had been adamant about letting his daughter watch the boy so the men could have a few nights free a month, an undertaking the poor pink haired girl had hardly been prepared for. Though her energy level and eagerness to please helped a lot, especially considering Tomi's penchant for mischief.

"I'm gonna clean up in here. You go ahead with him."

"He's not going to go quietly if you're not there to say goodnight, Renji."

"Aa, I know. I'm just gonna tidy a bit-" He saw Byakuya's look and rolled his eyes, smiling as he playfully snapped the wet towel at the elder man. "Don't make me use it, 'cause I will."

"And you'll lose your hands before the towel even makes it to me."

The pony-tailed shinigami waggled his eyebrows and leaned forward for a brief kiss.

"Ohh, is that a promise? I love when ya tease me, Byakuya."

Chuckling, the kenseikan wearing captain turned around and hands behind himself to protect his delectable rear end, made a quick dash to the child's bedroom, already finding him deep in the covers with his favourite stuffed animal.

The little yellow animal had been a gift from Kurosaki Yuzu, when the boy had turned one, finding it to be her favourite when she was a little girl and without much argument from Ichigo, it had been given over and well loved by the little firebrand. Though a new host had to be found for Kon, in the end, he was glad to be rid of the lion's body. His new suit was much better in his opinion. Who didn't love panda bears?

"Have you made your wishes for tomorrow, Tomi?"

"I did. I even asked a question too. I hope I get an answer. I really need the answer."

Byakuya sat on the edge of the bed and listened to both his son and his lover at the same time, pleased that Renji was just about finished.

"And what might that question have been?"

"I want to know why the tree in our yard moves when there's no wind."

The regal shinigami blanched slightly and lowered his voice a bit, not wanting the nanny, who was in the outer chamber, to hear.

"The tree…moves on its own?"

"It does! I saw it a couple days ago and again today."

"Well what do you think it is?"

"Ghosts." Said the boy, matter of factly.

The taichou chuckled and leaned over the boy with one arm holding himself aloft, gently brushing the bangs back from his elongated little face.

"You sound so sure of that. What exactly makes you so sure?"

"Well, I was sitting at the edge of the pond trying to catch the fish-…"

"Tomi."

"Ano...I mean...I wasn't really trying to catch them. I was just-…"

"I'm not going to punish you for it this time but I expect you to mind me next time and every time after that. Understood?"

"Hai, Byakuya-chi."

"Good boy. Now give me a kiss so I can go to my own room. Renji-chi will be in shortly."

The young Kuchiki sat up slightly and pecked his father on the cheek, immediately snuggling back down into the covers as the dark haired shinigami left. It was barely a minute before Renji reappeared, seeming more distressed and weary than he had when the bath had just finished, having been ignorant of just how much water a playing child can splash onto the floor.

He walked up to the bed wagging a threatening finger, one matched by the little one before he crouched down and kneeled beside the bed.

"Do I get my kiss now too? I don't wanna be left out ya know."

"'Course, Renji-chi!" And the tiny kiss was smacked noisily against the redhead's tattooed forehead.

The markings had also been an item of immense interest to the boy when he was younger and still, it was hard for him to understand the meaning of them. One day he would be a shinigami himself, of that Byakuya was certain and then once the concept of zanpakutou came to light, the explanations could start anew.

"Ok, brat. I'm gonna send Hora-chan in so she can give ya your milk, ok?" He bopped the boy on the nose with one finger, receiving a scrunched up look in return.

"And tomorrow mornin', you stay in here until she comes with your breakfast, got it? I don't want ya wanderin' the halls again."

"Gomen, Renji-chi."

"No reason to be sorry, kiddo. Just listen to what your father and I have to say and you'll be good as gold, ne?"

"Hai!"

"Yosh. Night, brat."

"Night, Renji-chi!"

The younger shinigami smiled as he stepped out into the antechamber and motioned for the nanny to go in with the small tray, the nightly ritual performed dutifully ever since Tomi was three. He simply couldn't sleep without a good night from Renji and a glass of milk.

Byakuya was waiting for him and after winding his right arm around Renji's waist and kissing him soundly, they retired to their own room for the night, intent on some alone time that only lovers could share.

Though now, after having gone to Unohana-taichou a second time after the boy was born, there was no chance of anything happening again to cause such a change in their lives. Whatever it was that she found, and later explained to Kurosaki Isshin, was fixed, to essentially sterilize Renji. The redhead couldn't be happier. And in retrospect, according to his own libido, Byakuya couldn't either.

After all, there were only so many times a man could hold back, before the need to take his own lover became overwhelming. In Renji's mind, their entire situation could have been avoided if only the regal captain could have reined in his desires.

Damned Kuchiki hormones…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THEM!

Warnings: Het relationship. Brief mansecks. Adult language. Adult situations. AU. Thuglife-icity. Please, keep in mind that this is AU and therefore, the Soul Society arc and the following Hueco Mundo arc never existed. Gin, Aizen and Tousen are still in Soul Society and everything is fine. –laughs-

Notes: Yay, third and final chapter! I can't imagine writing three but I got SUCH a great response on it that I couldn't stop. Plus, I promised a chapter showcasing Tomi at age twenty-five. So…here he is. Seventeen years after the last chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it.

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"Oi, Kira-oji!"

The blond fukutaichou lifted his head and waved to his visitor in greeting, smiling broadly at the youth who ran up to his side, dark eyes staring into a set of smiling but exhausted red ones.

"What do you need, Tomi-kun? Is everything all right?"

The tall fourth seat nodded, catching his breath as he hunched over, resting his hands on his knees.

"Hai, everything's fine. Just thought I'd come say hi before you head home. I don't get to see you as often as I used to and I was here to collect special orders from Genryuusai-dono."

Kira chuckled softly and gestured towards the courtyard, setting the boy's attention on his own lover, the silver haired taichou sitting in the grass with a cup of tea in his hand.

"Gin's been keeping me very busy. Our division is undergoing extensive changes and he's happier when he's outside. Especially when I'm there to read to him or bring him his tea."

"You're still running yourself ragged for him, ne? I remember being so afraid of him as a kid. How'd I ever get through life as a kid not knowing how friendly he could actually be?"

"I don't know, Tomi-kun. But for now, let's just say he was as curious about you as you were of him. You're an anomaly in Soul Society. Well, in the entirety of the living and non-living worlds, I suppose."

The young Kuchiki perked up at the mention of his being important and special, giving a light chuckle of his own and turning on his heel to leave again, waving back at his red-haired father's best friend.

"Ja, Kira-oji! I'll catch you later!"

The elder shinigami raised his hand as well, not calling out but nodding happily as he walked back to his beloved captain, grinning eyes looking up to him as the short haired man patted the soft spot beside himself.

"Sit down, Izuru. I wanna hear this one again." He pointed to a chapter in a very thick, very dog-eared novel. "The one with the swordfight."

Leaning over after sitting down to peck the taller form on the cheek, Kira obliged without a word, shifting to sit cross-legged, his lover's head cradled lovingly in his lap.

In his own garden, the flowers still blooming as they always had, the thankfully calm weather of Soul Society assuring their beauty, Kuchiki Byakuya sat placidly, a scroll beside him and his inkpad and brush keeping it company in the cool, shady grass.

He kept an ear cocked towards the estate's main building, listening for his noisy lover, knowing that once the younger man returned, things would again be absolute chaos.

Things had gone well for the two shinigami, Byakuya's position as sixth division captain staying as it had always been, likewise for Renji. As a mated pair, their statuses didn't actually need to change, especially considering the lack of action Soul Society ever saw and the seeming halt to activities regarding anything remotely argumentative within the Gotei 13.

In short, life had been quiet and the regal nobleman would not have enjoyed it any other way.

"Thanks, Hona-chan!" Came a loud but unmistakable voice, Byakuya's head lifting to see his lover come running out of their home.

"Softer, Renji. The neighbours will complain."

The redhead skidded to a halt beside his elder lover, crouching down with his hands draped over his thighs.

"Maa, they can complain all they like. We're more important than they are. 'Sides, I've got more say than they do. I'm the one married to a Kuchiki and I'm the mother of the Kuchiki heir." He stuck his tongue out. "So there."

Byakuya sighed softly and shook his head, finishing the scroll with a little flourish and carefully blowing on the ink to dry it more quickly, the long roll secured with string and set aside.

"Your manners have certainly not improved over the years."

"Fuck that too. You know you love it."

The dark haired captain chuckled and drew the other down for a kiss, pulling him into his lap and nuzzling his cheek before giving him a thorough one, much to the chagrin of their son, his arrival less announced than Renji's.

"Aww, come on. None of that with kids watching, huh? S'kinda nasty."

The young Abarai cleared his throat and glared at his now grown son, somewhat embarrassed but unable to admit as much.

"Ya just need to stop catching us. You've been doin' it for years now. Try ignorance for a change."

"I can't, Renji-chi. It's kinda obvious when you're right out in the middle of the garden."

"Sou…well bugger off, will ya? S'private parent time here."

Byakuya swatted his longhaired lover for being so overly rude and frowned slightly at the boy, sitting back up and clearing his throat.

"You really must find a better way to make your presence known, Tomi. It's quite rude to walk in on a situation such as this and make an obvious mention of it. You should know better."

Now soundly reprimanded, the twenty-five year old looked just like a little boy again, digging the sheathed tip of his zanpakutou into the grass.

"Gomen, Byakuya-chi." He looked to Renji. "Gomen, Renji-chi."

"S'no worries, brat. So what'd ya want? Somethin' good to report? Your work's been great so far but you could use some work on your kidou-"

"I'm being transferred."

The redhead fell from Byakuya's lap as the elder man sat up more fully, suddenly more interested in where the conversation was headed.

"Where have you been transferred to, Tomi?"

The red-eyed boy blinked. "You didn't get the notice, Byakuya-chi?"

Suddenly, Renji coughed loudly and sputtered something about missing papers and remembering to do something a long time after it was supposed to have been done.

"Ano…I remember Ise-fukutaichou sending over some paperwork or some shit to be notarized…"

The light squeal from the pony-tailed fukutaichou had his son in stitches, the man's ear held in a tight pinch.

"Itai, Byakuya!"

"What paperwork was it, Renji? Something to do with Tomi's transfer?"

"Leggo…" he squirmed and managed to get out of the other's hold, moving to stand and brush himself off, looking all the world as young as their child. "It might've been."

"It was, Byakuya-chi. I'm being moved to the fifth. Genryuusai-dono thought that my zanpakutou skills and leadership ability would be better suited there. Aizen-taichou's apparently a great teacher. Better than Tousen-taichou."

"Well, Tousen has his own skills in certain areas. Each of us does."

"Hai, but he's got his hands full with the squad he already has and Hisagi-fukutaichou's got everything under control. Our fifth seat's ready to be moved up and the third seat's filled."

Trying to sneak away but snatched by his hakama, Renji grumped and flopped down onto the grass where he stood, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at his lover.

"So you're bein' moved 'cause it's convenient for your squad? That's kinda fucked up."

"I like it. Aizen-taichou's nice and Hinamori-fukutaichou's really nice too…"

The look passed between the two elder men wasn't lost on the boy as he was turning to go, needing to finish a bit of paperwork to take back to the Gotei 13 headquarters the next day.

"What? What're you two looking at each other for?"

"She's really nice, eh Tomi?"

"Yeah…hey wait. Whoa, no! I'm not in love with her!"

The younger of the two top ranking shinigami chuckled and got back up again, heading for the main house while looking back over his shoulder, winking and pointing to the still seated Kuchiki.

"Talk to your dad about it. I'm not gonna say anymore. I'm already in trouble."

"But-"

"No buts! I'm out!" And he disappeared inside, to find a servant to bother no doubt.

He had a hard time, even after all the long years living in the Kuchiki estate, dealing with being waited on and he still preferred doing things for himself. In the end, when Tomi was twelve, Byakuya had to put an end to it and force the redhead to allow the servants to cater to him, if only to keep the women from running from him scared and the cook from arguing over the mess he left while making a snack.

In the garden still, Byakuya smiled softly at his son and patted the ground beside himself, watching as the tall form folded down into the shade, leaning back against the large cherry tree, enjoying the cool of the summer afternoon while sheltered below its thick branches.

"Are we correct in assuming that you're in love with Hinamori-fukutaichou, Tomi? I would appreciate your honesty on this."

"Maa, but Bya-chi…" The boy switched into his whiny 'I learned it from Renji-chi' mode. "I don't really wanna talk about it…"

"But we will. I don't need rumours surfacing, nor do I need angry division captains at my door. Do you understand?"

Tomi lowered his head and nodded.

"Hai. I guess so."

"Good. Now, tell me why you like her so much. It's plainly written on your face so I would prefer that you tell me everything now. As you well know, I'm not fond of lies or half-truths."

The garnet-eyed youth looked over at his father and smiled a bit, leaning back on one arm, a distinctly Renji-esque position.

"She's just so sweet. And small. I love how short she is. I've seen her a few times in the offices and she smiles at me all the time, looking up like this." He demonstrated, much to the amusement of his father. "We've eaten lunch together a few times and she was really excited to hear that I was being transferred over."

"I imagine she would be." He leaned in close to the boy and lost his smile, now putting on his proper, disciplining parent face. "Do I have to remind you to be a gentleman?"

The light blush over the fourth seat's cheeks made the elder Kuchiki laugh out loud, a deep rumbling noise that had always made the boy feel at home.

"I don't mean in the more personal things, my son. That will come later, hopefully. For now, you can take advice from me on matters of basic courting. When the time comes for more, I think Renji would be the best course of action. He's more skilled in the…romantic arts, than I am."

Tomi was on his feet before he could even pick up his zanpakutou, backing away with a disgusting but humourous look on his face.

"Even when you're by yourself, you're gross, dad! Ugh. I might be an adult by all rights but that's on a need to know basis." He bent over for the sword and gave a small bow before bounding off towards the garden gate, deciding to go into the city instead of staying home for the night. "And I don't need to know! I'll be back before midnight!"

Sighing, Byakuya stood up and brushed himself off, picking up his writing supplies and turning to rest a hand on the tree, smiling warmly before heading towards the house.

"Aa. He's growing very fast isn't he, Hisana?"

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"So lemme get this straight. Ya said he could go out with her, even though ya know he's getting' some?"

"Renji. You don't have to be so crude in your descriptions. He's a grown man. He's allowed to do what he deems right."

"And after datin' her for less than six months, you're ready to let his mind tell him that stickin' it wherever he wants, is ok?"

A vicious but well-timed and nearly unseen pinch to his thigh had Renji howling and Byakuya chuckling, the elder man winning out again.

"Might I remind you, that at twenty five, you already had a son, Renji."

"Maa, human years, yeah. And it was all your fault!"

"I don't remember you complaining at the time."

Renji purred softly and shifted over to lie between the smaller man's legs, nuzzling under his throat as they shared a few blissfully silent moments in bed before their son would return from his date.

"How could I have argued with ya? You're better at lovin' than I am…"

"I'm home! Where is everyone?" Came the call from the end of the long main house corridor. "Byakuya-chi? Renji-chi?"

Feeling snubbed, Renji slipped out of the large bed and folded a light yukata around himself, padding barefoot to the door and peering back at his lover before heading out into the hall.

"How come he always calls your name first?"

"Alphabetical order, Renji. Pure and simple."

"You're a cold bastard, ya know that?" he closed the door behind himself and waved at the longhaired boy, motioning for him to keep his voice down. "It's late, Tomi. Keep it down, huh?"

"Ah, gomen, Renji-chi. I was just curious how come it was so dark. You guys are usually up later than this."

"We were in bed but we can't sleep until you come home. Parent's paranoia or some shit. I forget what Ukitake-taichou called it."

"Maa, well I'm gonna get to bed then. Say goodnight to Byakuya-chi for me, ok?"

"Un. Just don't make too much noise. Hona-chan's a light sleeper and she'll be worried if she hears things."

"Hai, I know. Night, Ren-chi."

The redhead smiled and patted the boy on the head, turning to walk back to his own bedroom again, waving his lover back inside when the elder man stepped out to wave at their son.

"Night, brat."

Inside the overly elaborate sleeping area, Byakuya was almost childish in his need for details, clambering over the taller man as he eagerly awaited them.

"Gods, Byakuya. Give it a rest, huh? He got some tonight. Ya happy? he reeked of that passion flower perfume shit Hinamori wears."

"How do you know, though? That can't be the best way to find out without asking him directly."

Sitting down on the high bed and resting back against the headboard, the tattooed shinigami gestured for his lover to join him, growling lightly as the nude captain climbed atop his lap and settled comfortably, leaning in for a bit of a kiss.

"I grew up with her, remember? She wears that shit that Matsumoto-fukutaichou brings back from the living world for all the girls. Smells nice. Kinda fruity." He nipped at Byakuya's neck and earned himself a deep purr. "Still kinda hard for me to imagine someone my age sleepin' with my son. Fuck, that whole sentence is fucked up."

The nobleman laughed quietly and ground his hips down a bit before lifting to position himself for the coming act, warm hands circling his waist and holding him there as Renji's hips moved of their own accord, forcing himself inside the tight sheath of his lover's sanctum, both men gasping into the darkness from the suddenness of it.

Finding the headboard and gripping it tightly, the elder man lifted and dropped sharply, gritting his teeth over the odd but familiar feeling, savouring every inch of the warm member as it slid inside and out, rubbing him just where he wanted it, even more so when he shifted to the side while lowering, shuddering breaths wracking his delicate frame.

"Gods, Renji. You feel so wonderful…"

"Mmm yeah. Same here. You're so fuckin' tight, Byakuya. Just…keep doin' that…that tightenin' thing. Yeah, that. Fuck, that's good."

Smiling broadly, a sight that few people ever saw, the powerful Kuchiki moved faster, leaning forward over the taller man, his hair falling around him like a curtain as Renji slipped a hand around his arousal, ripping a sharp cry from the dark eyed shinigami, his body tensing and spilling instantly, something a normal man would have found embarrassing but considering the cadence of Renji's thrusts and the amount of lust he felt towards the loudmouthed vice captain, Byakuya found it to work out perfectly.

Coddled by the tightness inside the regal nobleman and the feel of hot seed on his belly and hand, the pony-tailed swordsman grunted his own release, barely moving as he snapped his hips and buried the thickness deep within the elder man. Sated, he fell limp, ignoring his stickiness and stretching, sleep slowly crawling up to bite him on the ass.

"Fuck, you always come first when you're on top. I guess it's your treat for bein' taken, huh?"

"Hmm, I suppose so." The sixth squad captain said through a quiet yawn.

"Ok, ok. I get the hint. Bedtime for the parents too, ne? Roll over." Renji wiped himself with the upper sheet and tossed it off the bed before snuggling up behind his lover. "There. Nice and secure, all three of us."

"Mmm…"

----------------------------

In the Kuchiki estate's garden, Tomi sat with Hinamori by the pond, he with his back against the tree and she resting in his lap, sitting back against his chest with a happy smile on her face, aged from her absolutely youthful appearance that Renji remembered from his academy days but still physically young looking. She lifted a hand to the young Kuchiki's face and he leaned forward to kiss it lightly, earning a giggle from her and a little squeak as he tightened his hold around her waist.

"Naa, Tomi-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Your parents are ok with this, right? I mean, I've always been a little afraid of Kuchiki-taichou. Abarai-kun and I have been friends for years but I'm just worried about angering them, I guess."

"Nah, don't worry about it. They're ok with it. Renji-chi's even encouraging it, as long as I'm home when I need to be and my division work's not slacking."

She giggled again and tilted her head back to look at him upside down, snorting as she was kissed on the nose.

"It's a little strange that you're still going by their rules at your age, isn't it?"

He sighed then, resting his head back against the thick tree trunk, garnet eyes closing to enjoy the rustling of the leaves above him.

"As the Kuchiki heir, I have to live in the estate. I've got my own house there-" He pointed to one smaller than the main house but no less elaborate. "-that I can move in to at any time, but I like staying with Byakuya-chi and Renji-chi. There hasn't really been a reason for me to move out yet."

"How about now? You need a bit more privacy, don't you?"

"Yeah." He tipped his head back down and rested it on top of the fifth squad fukutaichou's, rubbing his chin in and smiling. "I guess I do. I'm gonna ask tomorrow."

"Sounds good!" The small shinigami turned to look at him properly and leaned in for a kiss, pulling away with a light blush and moving to stand, her eyes drawn to the tree, whose leaves still moved in the nonexistent breeze. She lifted a hand to touch the closest one and smiled, tugging a handful of blossoms from it and scattering them over the quietly bubbling waterfall that ran into the pond.

"I'm jealous, Tomi-kun. Your trees move even when there's no wind."

"Nah, not all of them do. Just this one. Byakuya-chi told me why one time but I don't remember. I'll have to ask him."

"You can tell me tomorrow. I've got to get going. Aizen-taichou's expecting me for tea at five."

Standing as well, the tall shinigami embraced his girlfriend, no, his fiancée, he had to keep telling himself. He had asked the young vice captain to marry him the week before.

"I'll see you for lunch in the courtyard then?" A light kiss and a giggle as she walked away, taking the garden gate instead of going back through the manor.

"Hai! Be on time, Tomi-kun. I'm, not hurrying to eat again. I got a stomachache last time!"

"I'll even bring your lunch for you. Then you won't have to worry about it. Hand packed bento!"

"All right! Ja, Tomi-kun!"

"Ja, Momo-chan!"

She disappeared in a flurry of black uniform, the young Kuchiki standing alone by the pond, bright eyes taking in the petals floating on the water's surface, his smile never fading as the tree continued its gentle movements. It was a strange thing indeed, to see the large object moving as if it were a living thing, more so than the fact that it actually was living. He half expected it to stand up and walk off.

He knew why the elegant plant moved on its own, having chalked it up to simple Soul Society magic when he was a child, having forgotten the conversation Byakuya had had with him one night before he had gone to bed. The answer had never really been given but he imagined that a ghost had occupied it, a lonely ghost without a family of its own to love.

How wrong he was as a child. Once cornering Renji for the answer one day when he was seventeen, Tomi smiled when he was told, knowing the story of his father's wife and what had happened so many years before his birth. It explained the memorial stone and the offerings of oranges that sat so constantly beside the bubbling water, the entire spot made so that where the benches were placed, one could enjoy the water and the surrounding foliage without staring at the plain grey stone.

This day however, the boy turned to it and placed a hand on its cool surface, the other resting against the thick trunk, his head tilted back to stare up into the blushing sea of sakura petals.

"You can hear me, can't you, Hisana-baachan?" He waited a moment and swallowed audibly. "Thanks…uh, for everything. I know you've kept Byakuya-chi happy. And it's kinda neat to have something to impress Momo-chan with that doesn't involve a Kuchiki clan heirloom or anything."

The tree writhed as it always had, still spilling petals around him and into his dark hair, almost as if the imagined spirit inside it were embracing him.

"Keep it up, huh? I'll even start talking to you more if you'd like. It's kinda peaceful out here after all…"

The young shinigami looked around before letting his hands drop, leaving the petals where they lay on his clothes and walking back to the house, his conversation overheard by Byakuya, who stood at his bedroom window with a broad smile on his face.

It was nice to see things so settled in and working properly. Now, if only he could tame his red haired lover a little bit more. Some days it was almost as if he had two children and his husband had gone missing…


End file.
